USDA Nutrition Messages

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has replaced the Food Pyramid with a plate, MyPlate, that shows the types and quantities of food we should be eating to have a healthy diet. In its most simple terms, MyPlate gives the following advice:

Balancing Calories.

Enjoy your food, but eat less.

Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

Make at least half your grains whole grains.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce

Compare sodium on food labels, in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals and choose foods with the lower numbers.